Over the years, only one African has been publicly linked with buying a top-flight football club in the English Premier League, and he is none other than Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote.
The Nigerian billionaire has been linked with buying Arsenal Football Club – a club he publicly supports, for many years.
According to reports, another Nigerian billionaire would beat Alhaji Dangote to become the first Nigerian to acquire a top EPL club. Reports coming out of England have revealed that Sheffield United’s takeover saga could soon be complete, as a certain Nigerian billionaire named Dozy Mmobuosi is set to complete a £90 million takeover within the next couple of days.
But who is Dozy Mmobuosi, and why is he buying Sheffield United? This article tells you all you need to know and more.
The Current Situation
If you are a fan of Sheffield United or the English Premier League, you can be forgiven for not knowing the Nigerian billionaire Dozy Mmobuosi. In fact, millions of Nigerians are not familiar with his name or know anything about his business dealings.
His name hit the headlines for perhaps the first time after multiple credible sources listed him as the man to take over Sheffield United from its current owner Abdullah bin Musaid Al Saud – who has listed the Club up for sale due to recent financial difficulties.
The African billionaire is attempting a £90 million takeover of the English Football Club, which was relegated to the Championship from the English Premier League in 2021.
Sheffield United has been battling a huge financial crisis and was slapped with a transfer embargo in January for its failure to pay another football club the money owed for a player they purchased.
Abdullah bin Musaid Al Saud has opted to put the Club up for sale, and multiple high-profile reports reveal that Dozy Mmobuosi is in the ‘final stages’ of acquiring the Yorkshire football club.
Who is Dozy Mmobuosi?
Dozy Mmobuosi is a Nigerian billionaire tech entrepreneur who came into the public eye in 2001 after he launched Tingo Mobile PLC. This Agri-Fintech company assists farmers across the African continent in managing their sales using smartphones.
The company was a huge success, but Dozy refused to stop there. He went on to design and launch Nigeria’s first SMS Banking Solution called ‘Flashmecash’. The highly successful venture was later bought over by a London Chartered Accountants company called First City Monument Bank, and the product is still in use to date.
He also has two phone assembly facilities in Nigeria and is a consultant for numerous multinational companies – especially those operating out of Nigeria. He helps the organizations’ steer the strategy and design of business plans (investments, acquisition, and organic growth) into new global markets.’
He is also the founder of the Dozy Mmobuosi Foundation, which aims to “promote the progress of Africa and create an environment where Africans can thrive.” His foundation also focuses on improving education, entrepreneurship, healthcare, and Information Technology development in his home country.
About Sheffield United Football Club
Sheffield United is a professional football club in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The Club currently competes in the EFL Championship after it was relegated from the EPL in 2021. They are nicknamed “the Blades” – a name that comes from Sheffield’s history of cutlery production.
The Club was officially registered 133 years ago on 22 March 1889 but began operation in October 1857. FIFA recognizes Sheffield United as the oldest existing Club still playing active football in the world.